Tiger Woods plays 5 holes at Bluejack National course opening

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Tiger Woods played five holes of golf in public on Monday. No, he didn’t withdraw from a tournament. His glutes, presumably, activated. He was on hand at Bluejack National, his first U.S. golf course design, near Houston as the 18-hole course was opened.

The former world No. 1 said afterward that these five holes were his first on-course play since beginning his rehab from two back surgeries last fall, his second and third back procedures in a 20-month span.

“I haven’t been out here playing like this. I hadn’t played any holes until today, Woods said, acknowledging a Golf World and Golf Channel report last week that Woods had been playing some holes in ramped-up practice sessions.

“I know people have said I’ve played holes back at Medalist, but I haven’t. This is actually the first time I’ve played holes since Wyndham. It’s been awhile.”

Woods looked like a guy who is still recovering from two back surgeries last fall, not like a guy who is ready to play next week at the Wells Fargo Championship or in two weeks at The Players Championship, as has been reported possible. And the 14-time major winner acknowledged as much after his exhibition: He wants to play in his heart, but his mind overrides, telling him he’s not yet ready.

“I’m just progressing,” he said. “You saw how I was going at it today, nice and smooth. That’s harder than I have been going at it the last month. Just gradually progressing. We’re just trying to progress and I’m doing that.”

Woods has registered for the U.S. Open in June, a clerical step which makes the Oakmont-hosted event a possibility for him. Among Woods fans, there’s talk he could return at Jack Nicklaus’ Memorial Tournament in late May, an event Woods has won five times. Uncertain himself it seems of when his body will let him come back as he’d like, Woods knows he can’t keep on practicing forever.

“Eventually I’m going to have to get to a competitive environment,” Woods said to ESPN.

He continued, “The hard part is once I get in that competitive environment to have that patience and plod my way along. I can play a lot more at home and get my playing sense back, but tournament golf is so much different than playing [at] home, and I’ll have to make those adjustments. And the only way to make those adjustments is to get out there in the heat and feel it.”

Ryan Ballengee is a Yahoo Sports contributor. Find him on Facebook and Twitter.

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